The Edo State police have confirmed the arrest of a 16-year-old girl accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend and four others.
A video circulating on social media since Wednesday depicts the aftermath of a tragic incident in which five individuals—four males and one female—reportedly died after consuming poisoned food.
In a statement, Edo State police spokesperson Moses Joel Yamu mentioned that they received a distress call on October 29 regarding local youths attempting to lynch the accused.
Yamu noted that the police intervened and rescued the suspect, adding that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
The statement reads: “The command received a report on 26/10/2024 at about 0730hrs, from one Mr Elogie Ezekiel of Afashio community, that at about 0630hrs of same date, he went to check his son named Emmanuel Elogie 19yrs at his apartment,” the statement reads in part.
“That upon gaining entrance into the apartment, he met the lifeless body of his son’s friend named Nurudeen surname not known ‘m’ at the corridor, he went further and met the lifeless bodies of his son with his girlfriend Ada Samuel ‘f’ 16yrs on the bed in the bedroom, while another two (2) of the son’s friends named Samuel Ayegwalo and Jeffrey Ayegwalo who turned out to be siblings found in the sitting room. They were evacuated to the hospital where the Doctor confirmed them dead.
“On 29/10/2024 at about 1710hrs, operatives of Jattu Division received information that a girl later identified as Aisha Suleiman ‘f’ 16yrs alleged to have caused the death of Emmanuel Elogie and four (4) others with food poison was about to be lynched by some young men from the community.
“They mobilised to the scene, rescued the suspect to the station, and the case was transferred next day to the State Criminal Investigation Department for discrete investigation.”
The Commissioner of Police, CP Umoru Peter Ozigi, has instructed that every effort be made to uncover the cause of the deaths.
He cautioned against resorting to jungle justice and assured the public that justice would be pursued following the investigation.